Being part of Air Canada is to become part of an iconic Canadian symbol, recently ranked the best Airline in North America. Let your career take flight by joining our diverse and vibrant team at the leading edge of passenger aviation.

Air Canada, ranked among the top five most attractive companies to work for in Canada, is seeking a Strategic Procurement Advisor – Global Travel, who will be based at our Montreal Headquarters.

Strategic Procurement (SP) is comprised of several Category Management teams and a Centre of Excellence (COE) to support SP. The successful candidate will play a key role as a category manager for all aspects of hotel accommodations and ground transportation sourcing initiatives and billing and compliance responsibilities including crew, passengers, and Jazz. Given the breadth and varied nature of the activities within this portfolio, this opportunity will provide interaction with key stakeholders in many parts of the organization.

This role requires someone who will be a key contributor in creating synergies and leverage spend with hotels across all branches within Air Canada. The successful candidate will apply a passion for leadership and collaboration in order to obtain the best value for the airline and to develop mutually beneficial relationships with hotel properties, Hotel Chains and ground service providers.

Responsibilities:

The Strategic Procurement Advisor – Global Travel will be supporting sourcing initiatives related to Air Canada’s key commercial and operational priorities. The Global Travel Category includes procurement activities related to crew hotels, ground transportation providers, this individual will collaborate and help support cross-functional teams to deliver strategic leadership, focused on value delivery, efficiency / cost savings, governance, and control.

In this role, responsibilities will include conducting supply market research, supporting sourcing strategies, evaluating competitive bid processes, draft and prepare request for proposals, information or quotation, participate in vendor selection of hotels, as well as prepare and support negotiations and contract execution on an ongoing basis. The role also includes support to billing and compliance responsibilities will include reviewing invoices and compliance with contract terms and company policies.

In greater detail, key areas of responsibility include the following:

• Support corporate category procurement strategies:
  • Develop and maintain an understanding of the hospitality industry and supply market trends in various regions around the world to strengthen Air Canada’s negotiating positions
  • Stay abreast of Air Canada’s Corporate strategic initiatives and priorities through close collaboration with the departments
  • Analyze and monitor category spend and expiring contracts to uncover potential sourcing and consolidation opportunities
• Assist in managing procurement events for Crew Accommodations and transportation:
  • Facilitate and support relationships between multiple stakeholder groups, including our Express partners, to assist in the selection process of crew accommodation and ground transportation providers that meet Air Canada’s crew requirements and ensure cost effective quality accommodations
  • Cultivate an effective working relationship with all stakeholders.
  • Work with cross functional teams to determine business requirements
  • Prepare and issue RFPs, evaluate responses, prepare site inspection agendas, and support ongoing negotiations with suppliers.
  • Contract drafting and execution
  • Collaborate with internal subject matter experts including the Crew Accommodations team to obtain concurrence on contract terms
  • Reviewing invoices for accuracy, legitimacy, and compliance with contract terms and company policies; identifying discrepancies and working directly with vendors to ensure timely resolution.
  • Supporting audit, compliance, and process improvement initiatives
• Act as an ambassador for Strategic Procurement and Air Canada
  • Further develop SP’s relationships with internal customers over the course of procurement events
  • Effectively communicate and promote the successes of SP
  • Actively engage in learning Air Canada’s business processes
  • Continually seek areas for improvement

Qualifications

• University degree in in a relevant field of study (commerce, supply chain, engineering, hospitality)
• Excellent communication (verbal and written), analytical, negotiation, and project management skills
• Ability to influence without formal authority
• A strong entrepreneurial spirit, a desire to innovate, intellectual curiosity and creative thinking
• Strong organizational skills and work ethic
• Ability to multi-task, work under pressure and accommodate changing priorities
• High degree of professionalism and discretion is essential
• Flexibility with work hours and ability to travel
• Hotel Management and/or Crew Resources experience, an asset
• Demonstrate punctuality and dependability to support overall team success in a fast-paced environment.

Conditions of Employment:

Candidates must be eligible to work in the country of interest at the time any offer of employment is made and are responsible for obtaining any required work permits, visas, or other authorizations necessary for employment. Prior to their start date, candidates will also need to provide proof of their eligibility to work in the country of interest.

Linguistic Requirements

Based on equal qualifications, preference will be given to bilingual candidates.

Diversity and Inclusion

Air Canada is strongly committed to Diversity and Inclusion and aims to create a healthy, accessible and rewarding work environment which highlights employees’ unique contributions to our company’s success.

As an equal opportunity employer, we welcome applications from all to help us build a diverse workforce which reflects the diversity of our customers, and communities, in which we live and serve.

Air Canada thanks all candidates for their interest; however only those selected to continue in the process will be contacted.